The End of Solitude
by 1anthe
Summary: Since Naruto became the hokage, Konoha has been a peaceful place, even for people like Itachi Uchiha. Despite the years of suffering and heartache, he has always waited for a time when he wouldn't be alone. Those days have finally arrived, and not a moment too soon.
1. Chapter 1

The End of Solitude

Every morning that Itachi woke up in Konoha was a surprise to him. He had to remind himself every time that this was normal now. There was no threat, no war, no conflict between him and his brother or the villagers. Now that Naruto Uzumaki was the Hokage, the village hummed with warm energy that he hadn't experienced in his thirty-five or so years of life, in Konoha or anywhere else for that matter. His apartment was in a secluded corner of the village that looked out over the forest, and the sun had just begun to rise, its rays streaking out above the treetops. He opened the window and a pleasant gust of wind swiftly carried away the stale air from the night before. For everything that he had experienced, Itachi was remarkably calm within himself. Yes, he woke up with a start every morning, expecting to be out in the woods or in an Akatsuki hideout to take a turn on night watch, but somehow the nightmares he experienced for years before resettling in Konoha had abated. He had to admit that was impressive. Something about living here and seeing his brother frequently, both alive and seemingly happy, was enough to give him closure to all the years of torment he lived through and the resulting terrors he used to see whilst asleep.

Later that day, he decided to stroll through the village to buy food and make some dinner. Itachi had a lot of free time, since right now Naruto didn't quite know what to do with him. He was obviously still a ninja, but since the shinobi world was at peace there weren't too many high-ranking missions to keep him occupied at the moment, and Naruto felt strange giving low-level missions to someone like Itachi Uchiha. In the meantime, he had taken to long walks around Konoha, observing the pleasant hustle and bustle and the way life flowed through the streets. It was almost therapeutic to him. After running into a few people and buying some supplies to prepare ramen, Itachi turned around to head home. As he turned, a sudden pink flash appeared in his peripheral vision and he immediately spun around to see Sakura Haruno on the ground in front of him.

"HEY!" Sakura was glaring at him; her immediate reaction was of severe irritation. Itachi stopped and began to help her up.

"Oh…Itachi-san, it's you…" she appeared to calm down as she dusted off her pink skirt. Apparently Sakura had been out grocery shopping as well. Presently, various boxes and containers were scattered about, with some of the items spilling out onto the dirt road.

"That was my fault, I didn't look where I was going. Let me help you with your things." He said while collecting her groceries in his arms as Sakura hurriedly began to pick up her things as well.

"No, you don't have to! I wasn't looking either. But thank you." The two of them both reached for one stray apple on the ground. One split second of skin contact that felt like an electric current passing between them, and Itachi quickly removed his hand while Sakura placed the apple in one of her bags.

"Do you need any help taking those things home?" Itachi asked with a worried look in his eyes. Sakura shook her head.

"No thank you, but I'm fine. I really appreciate the offer though. See you around!" The pink haired kunoichi turned down the street and disappeared into the crowd.

Itachi was unusually preoccupied with the thought of the unexpected energy he felt from Sakura's hand. It was the tiniest touch and yet it provoked a response he hadn't felt before. It was unlike Itachi to mull over the lack of romantic involvement in his life. Without a doubt, the extraordinary nature of his life path until this point led to a dearth of intimate female relationships. Itachi never had any interest in paid company either, deeming it to be a waste of time and money. Self-control and discipline were the guiding forces of his life up until recently; indulgence was never in the cards. And yet, now that he had so much free time, what harm could a little pleasant distraction with a beautiful woman do? Despite his lack of experience with women he did notice the effect he often had on them from time to time, so it wasn't like he wasn't confident in himself. He also knew that Sakura was previously infatuated with Sasuke, but since that never took off and his younger brother was currently out on a mission, Itachi hedged that he could stand to make a move. Sasuke's had plenty of chances to be with Sakura, so if it hasn't happened yet then anything Itachi did would be fair game. He did hesitate at the thought of Sasuke being angry with Itachi over something like this, but seeing as he didn't think this would go anywhere anyway he didn't really concern himself with that possibility.

Night was falling and Itachi had finished eating his dinner and cleaning up. As he lay on his bed staring up at the ceiling, he thought of what it must be like to lay in this bed with Sakura next to him. Seeing a woman's body in all its glory, something he's never really been able to experience, was an exciting prospect. Not just any woman, either, but Sakura Haruno, the most talented and strong medical ninja in the village and maybe in the world, next to Tsuanade-sama of course. Itachi smiled to himself when he realized he was forming what he knew to be a crush, an almost foreign feeling, within his heart. He sighed and turned off the lights, slipping into another dreamless sleep, the stars twinkling outside his open window. Solitude had been a way of life for Itachi for many years, but so many things have changed recently.

The next morning Itachi ventured into the village for one of his morning walks. He wondered where Sakura might be at that particular moment. She was probably just waking up, or maybe she was already at the hospital seeing patients. Itachi decided to head to a café nearby for a light breakfast. As he stepped into the little hole in the wall he noticed that familiar pink head of hair in the corner of his eye. Sakura was sitting alone in the corner of the restaurant, drinking a cup of coffee and shuffling around a plate of eggs. This was it, Itachi thought to himself. He was going to make a move. Approaching her with a touch of nervousness, Itachi cleared his throat and said

"Good morning Sakura-san, do you mind if I join you for breakfast?"

Looking surprised, Sakura quickly responded "No, of course not. I have to get going soon, but please come sit! This place is so tiny anyway."

Itachi took the seat opposite her and asked her,

"Heading to work soon?"

Sakura smiled wanly. "Yes… I'm going to be at the hospital all day and night so I'm trying to wake myself up. Unfortunately, this coffee isn't doing too much to help."

"You're impressive, Sakura-san," Itachi smiled. "You work so hard."

"Please, just call me Sakura. Yes, it's quite a lot of work but I do love it. I guess I need a break though… I've been working super long hours and haven't had time for much… including sleeping and eating." Sakura scratched her head and sighed.

"Well, I know the people of the village need you, but it's definitely important to take breaks, for your sake as well as theirs. Maybe… if you wanted, I could take you to dinner tomorrow, if you have time?" Itachi internally tensed at his forward invitation. He did want to spend time with her, but was this too much? Was she just going to turn him down?

Sakura stared at him for a moment in disbelief before clearing her throat and responding, "Actually, I'd love to. I never have food in my house so I usually eat out alone. Having some company would be great." Sakura seemed to be finishing up and preparing to leave. Turned out to be perfect timing on Itachi's part. He offered to walk to the hospital with her.

"You don't have to, but that would be nice." The two exited the café and head towards the hospital.

"I'll come by to your place to pick you up, if you want." Itachi said, trying to play it cool.

"Okay, my place is actually just around the corner from here. I should be ready by 7 pm, so I'll meet you then." Sakura approached the front doors of the hospital and turned around to say goodbye.

"See you then. Try to eat something today and find some better coffee." Itachi said smiling.

"Will do. Thanks for walking with me, and I'll see you tomorrow." Sakura said, returning his smile before she turned and head inside.

Itachi didn't realize it until that moment, but he had been holding his breath watching her leave. He exhaled heavily, feeling pleased but also nervous at the thought of their dinner tomorrow night.

Itachi was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn't even realize he was heading to the forest. He was jolted back to reality by the sight of Kakashi Hatake sitting in a tree, a well worn volume of Icha Icha Paradise in his hand.

"Oh Itachi, it's you. What are you up to?" Kakashi said without taking his eyes off his book.

"Well, not much. I didn't really pay attention to where I was going and ended up here."

"Itachi Uchiha, absent minded? Hm, not a concept I'm familiar with." Kakashi swiftly landed in the grass below and strolled over to where Itachi stood.

"I suppose there is a first time for everything…" Itachi said, looking off to the horizon to avoid Kakashi's pointed look.

"There are only a few things I know of that could distract a man like you, and I'm guessing none of them are combat related. Can't be Sasuke, unless you're worried about him on his mission? Trust me, he's fine."

Itachi reluctantly made eye contact with Kakashi and let a moment pass before responding.

"I have no idea why I'm telling you this, but I'm taking a girl to dinner tomorrow night and I'm nervous."

Kakashi stared blankly at Itachi before erupted into raucous laughter.

"This is the best thing I've heard all day! I honestly can't believe this. I've never seen you like this, let alone over a DATE!" Kakashi had to remove his mask to wipe at the tears streaming from his eyes. Itachi glared at his old friend.

"Listen! I didn't tell you this for you to give me shit…"

Kakashi cleared his throat and halted his laughter.

"Ok, how about this? I won't give you any more grief if you tell me who it is."

Itachi sighed. He didn't really want to share that it was one of his Kakashi's former students, but what did he have to lose at this point?

"It's Sakura." Itachi said while involuntary tensing at the sound of her name.

Kakashi froze.

"Sakura Haruno? As in, my former student, Sakura Haruno?"

Itachi inched away from Kakashi.

"Yes… I'm taking her to dinner tomorrow night. I ran into her yesterday we just had breakfast together. She was telling me how she needs a break so I thought it might be nice to take her out." He watched Kakashi very carefully for his reaction.

Kakashi seemed to be contemplating this until he sighed at said "I can't believe I'm saying this but… I'm honestly happy to hear that." Itachi's face showed visible relief.

Kakashi continued, "She's been working so hard for such a long time, I think she could really use someone like you looking after her."

Itachi winked at his friend. "Really means a lot coming from you, Kakashi-sensei."

"Okay don't get weird on me now. I said I'm happy for you, not that I want to think about this any more than I need to. After all, I've known her since she was twelve… So it's kind of weird to think of her _like that_."

"Well I don't want you too either… I really had no intention of sharing this with you, but I guess you would have found out eventually." Itachi sighed contentedly now that he had Kakashi's blessing.

"Oh you got that right. And I probably would have showed up and done something I might regret, so I think you played this one right my friend." Kakashi's crinkled eyes revealed he was smiling beneath his mask.

"Well, I guess I should head back to town. See you later, Kakashi." Itachi waved and began walking.

"Just don't do anything stupid. You know how strong she is…" Kakashi returned to his spot in the tree and returned to his reading.

Itachi was quite pleased with this day so far. They were increasingly filled with pleasant interactions like this with friends, and there were more to come. Despite the years of heartache and hardship, Itachi's heart had never truly frozen over. It stayed hopeful, knowing that a time would come where he would find himself excited for dinner with a beautiful girl, worried about what his friends would say about it, and the end of solitude would begin.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Sakura

Darkness. A paralyzing fear coursed through Sakura, her limbs were heavy and her voice was muted. _Not again_. She slowly turned her head to see Konoha's gates, and the back of a much younger Sasuke leaving. Everything faded to black, and in the next instant she saw him return, this time much older and war-weary. He looked at her with an apologetic look, the words "I don't love you" hung in the air while Sakura sobbed. The darkness surrounded her and gripped her around the neck; she woke up gasping for breath and searching around the room. To her surprise it was already morning. Usually this nightmare woke up her much earlier. Is it accurate to call something you've actually experienced that you relive in dreams over and over again a nightmare? _Perhaps it's better just to call it a memory_ , Sakura thought to herself.

She slowly stepped out of bed and stretched, feeling her chakra awaken in her cells to prepare her the busy day ahead. Sakura couldn't help mulling over that day years ago when Sasuke told her he didn't love her. The pain those words brought her felt like they would end of her life. She waited for him for what felt like ages, holding onto hope that her lifelong love would take root and come to bear fruit when Sasuke finally returned to Konoha. She spent so many lonely moments imagining their future together, their children and their house, the happy days they would spend there. Those words "I don't love you" echoed in her head as she got out of the shower and toweled off, her silky pink hair falling behind her shoulders. It took almost a year for Sakura to move on, to be able to see him on the streets of Konoha without wincing in pain. That was the worst, seeing him look at her with a mixture of pity and feigned pleasantry. Of course, Naruto tried endlessly to ameliorate the situation, but despite his efforts Sakura could barely bring herself to smile around him. He would walk her from the hospital to her apartment and tell her about his day to distract her from her thoughts, which she did appreciate, however his presence always made her think of Sasuke; the three of them together, Team 7, a distant yet cherished part of Sakura's memories. Eventually, Sakura realized that while she was at work she couldn't focus on her pain. Helping other people brought a genuine smile to her face, and even when she felt exhaustion in her bones she knew that it was better than the gut wrenching heartache she felt when she was alone in her room.

As she poured herself a cup of coffee and flipped through the newspaper absentmindedly, Sakura reflected on her encounter with Itachi the day before. Somehow, she wasn't nervous for their dinner that evening. Being around him had a strangely calming effect on her. Looking into his eyes, the same black Uchiha eyes that she held in her memory all those years, she felt a warmth slowly seeping into her heart. Despite their potential for lethality, Sakura knew that Itachi wasn't the villain she heard about all throughout her childhood and adolescence. From the few times she spoke to him over the years she knew him to be a quiet and reserved man, and yet yesterday he was so forward. Sakura smiled as she remembered his nervous yet assertive proposition. She didn't want to admit to herself how easy it was to pretend it was Sasuke asking her the same question, something she had imagined over and over again. But this wasn't Sasuke. It was Itachi, with his taller stature, longer hair and handsome, yet slightly wearier face.

Sakura hastily dressed in her work uniform consisting of black pants and long sleeved black shirt. Before stepping out the door, she grabbed her medical coat and took a minute to appraise her face. For a woman of almost thirty, she had quite a youthful face, her pale skin and pink flushed cheeks giving her an innocent look. Sakura smiled softly, remembering the years of her childhood that she spent glaring at herself in the mirror, wishing she could make her forehead smaller or her face less rosy and childlike. _One of the perks of getting older is you stop giving a damn what people think and start appreciating yourself_ , Sakura thought as she head to the hospital. Early mornings in Konoha were always quiet, yet Sakura found herself marveling at the peace she felt walking the streets by herself. Things really had changed. Peace was something she began to forget about years ago, and yet now that it had returned it felt like slipping into a familiar dream. Despite how hard it was for her to overcome her broken heart, Sakura felt lucky to be alive, lucky to be doing what she loved in the village she loved. Lucky as well, to be able to go to dinner with a handsome man who just happened to be Sasuke's older brother.

Sakura shook her head vigorously while internally chiding herself for thinking about Sasuke again, even indirectly. She opened the door to the hospital, donning her coat and waving hello to the receptionists. Another busy day awaited her, a chance to forget about her own worries and indulge in the daily dramas of the villagers. Rarely did any serious cases come through these days, mostly bumps and bruises and shinobi returning from missions getting their aches and pains checked out, and yet she never had more than a few moments to spare in between patients. She enjoyed putting on her professional persona and watching her patients' eyes widen as she lit up their injured bodies with her healing chakra. Soon the hours began to slip by and Sakura found herself anxiously awaiting the end of her shift so she could get home and get ready. She realized she would only have about thirty minutes to get ready. _Whatever_ , she thought, _it's not like I'm really trying to impress Itachi!_

"Uh, Sakura? You can leave once you finish up with that chart." Shizune popped her head into the door, looking hurried.

"Oh, thanks Shizune-sama. I'll be done soon." Sakura began to hurriedly finish up her notes before gathering her things to head out. Despite her inner self proclaiming she didn't _really_ need to make any kind of special effort this evening, Sakura wanted to dress up, not for Itachi, but for herself. She hadn't had a reason to put on a nice dress or do her hair and makeup for quite sometime. It would be nice to embrace her feminine side for a change. Maybe Itachi would think it was for him, but she didn't really concern herself with that. To be honest, the thought of male attention did excite her. It was something she had definitely experienced from time to time throughout her life, but since she kept her heart locked away for so long it wasn't anything she ever allowed herself to explore. Tonight would be different.

Sakura decided upon a deep red dress with long sleeves and a low neckline paired with low-heeled black sandals. She pinned back her bangs using a gem encrusted pin, applied mascara and red lipstick, and then checked the clock in her bedroom. Right on time. As she locked up her apartment and head down the stairs to the street she briefly wondered if he would be late or blow her off. _Shut up Sakura,_ her inner self scolded. She scanned the street and noticed him rounding the corner, his face lighting up at the sight of her. She smiled tentatively, closing the gap between them while taking in the sight of him. He was without a doubt very handsome, especially when he smiled. He wore a black button down shirt with jeans and leather shoes, looking well dressed yet effortless.

"Good evening, Sakura." He was still smiling at her warmly.

"Good evening to you too… So where are we heading?" Sakura asked.

"I was thinking of going to this amazing sushi place. It's by the edge of the village so it'll be a little walk, if that's alright." He gestured back toward the direction he came and the two of them began to walk.

"Of course, that's fine. I haven't had sushi in forever."

"Well I think you will like this place... It's a pretty quiet place too, so we won't have to fight for a table or anything."

As the two of them walked, villagers definitely took notice of them. Itachi was never the type to get dressed up and take a girl out, Sakura realized with an accidental laugh. Itachi looked over at her with a touch of nervousness.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked.

"Nothing..." she glanced over quickly. Itachi's concerned look encouraged her to continue.

"Well, I guess just how people are looking at us. It's like they've never seen two people on a date before." Sakura inhaled sharply at her use of the word _date_. Itachi laughed, and Sakura exhaled with relief.

"I guess that's fair enough…It's probably them noticing how unusual it is for me to be with a beautiful girl like you."

The breath that Sakura had just released immediately caught in her throat, a small choking noise escaped as she tried to disguise it as a cough.

 _Get it together, Sakura!_ Her inner voice echoed as Sakura looked at Itachi with what she hoped was a pleasant smile.

"Are you alright, Sakura?" Itachi definitely wasn't convinced by her smile, which probably looked more like a grimace.

"Oh, I'm fine. Probably just tired." Sakura struggled trying to remain calm. She really did not anticipate Itachi to have this type of effect on her. She took a deep breath and peered over at him again. He was still looking at her with genuine concern. Sakura cleared her throat and changed the subject, asking him about what he had been up to recently. Itachi's eyes glowed as he told her about his peaceful days, his long walks and how he had recently taken up cooking. Sakura was a little surprised to hear about the quiet life the former Akatsuki member had come to live. Throughout their conversation, Sakura could tell that he really was happy despite everything he had experienced. The ease in which their conversation flowed struck her as well. Despite her initial loss of composure, the rest of the walk to the sushi restaurant went by in a pleasant blur of upbeat conversation and laughter. Sakura began to realize she had been unwittingly tense up until that point, but with every passing minute of their evening together she loosened up and began to genuinely enjoy herself. The two of them shared a cozy table in the mostly empty sushi restaurant. The sake and the sushi were both delicious, and as the night wore on Sakura began to forget all of the strange apprehension she had felt earlier that day. Although, Sakura began to feel secretly glad that Sasuke was on a mission, because the thought of seeing him with his older brother gave her a bit of a sick thrill that she did not want to entertain. She was here for him, not to enact some sort of twisted revenge scheme.

As she pondered these thoughts that arose from the darker part of herself, Itachi looked up at her and asked "Shall we be on our way then, Sakura?"

She looked up suddenly. The restaurant was empty and the owner seemed to be waiting for them to leave so he could close up. Sakura smiled and said, "Of course, we might as well let this man go home."

As they exited the restaurant, the chill of the night began to settle on Sakura's skin, sending a shiver down her spine. The sake was definitely numbing the sensation, but it was enough to cause her to inch closer to Itachi's warm body. She could feel how his skin radiated heat despite not even touching him. "So warm…" Sakura said quietly.

Itachi responded by gently taking Sakura's hand and pulling her towards him. The instant warmth that flooded through her hand made Sakura gasp quietly.

"Not sure why, but I've always been able to make it through the cold without much trouble." Itachi said with a small smile.

"Thank you… I think that I should be able to make it home without getting sick now… Can't have that… with work and all…" Sakura wobbled a little bit, quickly realizing she might have had a few too many cups of sake.

 _Never seemed to be able to hold sake very well, right Sakura?_ She thought as she noticed her vision had become slightly blurry. She concentrated on the warmth from Itachi's hand to keep her as steady as possible.

"Sakura, if you want, I can carry you home." Itachi said, reaching out his arm to her as she struggled to maintain a decent walking pace.

"No, I'm fine, but thank you Itachi." Sakura was slightly pissed at herself.

 _This is what happens when you take a night off. You drink too much and can't even walk home… Pretty embarrassing for a kunoichi like yourself, huh?_ Sakura's somehow much more sober inner voice chided her, and yet despite that Sakura turned around and stopped walking.

"Actually… I really think I could use some help…" she began to wobble a bit again as she came closer to Itachi.

"Of course. Let me carry you and I'll help you get to bed." Itachi swiftly placed her on his back. His warmth immediately spread all over the front of her body. Drowsiness spread as she leaned on him and wrapped her arms around his chest; she placed her hands under the front of his shirt, seeking more warmth.

 _His skin is so soft… Much more soft than it looks…_ Sakura thought before she drifted off, the village disappearing from her vision as her eyes slowly closed.

The next thing she knew, she was slowly being lowered into her bed and tucked into her quilt. Itachi's black eyes looked upon her tenderly. He placed a glass of water by her bed and instructed her to take a few sips before falling asleep again.

"It's so cold in my bed…Can you stay here until I fall asleep again?" Sakura whispered.

Itachi looked a little surprised by the request. Sakura's inner voice would have given her another reprimand but even she was missing that delicious body heat. He quietly removed his sandals and lay down by her side, tentatively wrapping his arms around her. Sakura immediately curled up on his chest, her hands seeking his chest again as she began to doze off.

 _So warm…_

As Itachi slowly traced the soft outline of Sakura's face with his thumb, she was already gone, sleeping without dreams, neither good nor bad, neither memories of happy nor traumatic events to disturb her. Instead, Itachi's warmth enveloped her in a blissful state of calm and comfort. For the first time, Sakura wasn't facing a night of gasping for breath and staring out into a sleeping Konoha waiting for the sun to reappear. She was sleeping in the embrace of a man that until yesterday was little more than a stranger, and yet it was the most calm she had felt for what felt like a lifetime.

* * *

Thank you so much for reading! I apologize for how long it took for the second chapter to be posted. I'll try to update as often as I can but since I am returning to school next week I can't be certain how often that will be. Hope you enjoy!


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